Wokingham

The religious profile of Wokingham changed substantially in the decade to 2011. Data from the census also show there were changes in housing tenure and ethnicity.

The population passed 150,000

In the 10 years leading up to the latest census, the population of Wokingham increased by 2.8%, from about 150,000 to 154,000.

The addition of just under 4,200 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Wokingham was home to, on average, 6.2 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Wokingham

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Wokingham increased by three years, from 37 to 40 years.

This affluent rural area had a slightly higher average age than the South East and became slightly older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just under 4,000 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by about 3,000.

About 11% of people in Wokingham are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Wokingham by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health fell in Wokingham, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas across England.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

Every local authority area across the South East saw a fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad, as the regional average fell from 7.2% to 4.4%.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.8%) in Wokingham said their health was bad or very bad, compared with 4.6% in 2001. The percentage that perceived their health as good or very good increased from 78% to 88%.

Surrey Heath saw England's next largest rise in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad (from 5.3% to 3.2%).

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Wokingham decreased by 1.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wokingham, the South East and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Wokingham

The number of people in Wokingham that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 25,000 in 2001 to just over 40,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 17% to 26% of the local population.

The percentage increased by less than the average across the South East (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Wokingham that described themselves as Christian decreased from just under 110,000 in 2001 to just under 92,000 in 2011 (from 73% to 60%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from just over 9,900 to just over 11,000 (from 6.6% to 7.3%).

Just under 4,400 people (1.3%) said they were Muslim, up from about 2,000 in 2001 (2.8%).

The population without a religion in Wokingham increased by 9.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Wokingham by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Wokingham

The percentage of Wokingham residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 6.5% to 6.6% between the last two censuses.

The percentage who reported being limited a lot in their day-to-day activities remained close to 1.7%, while the percentage of Wokingham residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 92% to 91%.

The proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 6.8% in 2001 to 6.7% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 6.8% to 6.5%.

The proportion of people who are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across the South East

Percentage of usual residents that reported being slightly limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Wokingham, but at a slower rate than in Reading (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Wokingham).

In Wokingham, the proportion of private renting increased from 7.7% in 2001 to 11% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Reading increased from 15% to 26%.

Across the South East, the share of privately rented homes increased from 10% to 16%.

The rate of social housing in Wokingham remained close to 7.0%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 83% to 80%.

Private renting in Wokingham increased by 3.5 percentage points

Percentage of households in Wokingham, the South East and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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